51 WALDEN

51 Walden is a performing arts center housed in a former 1887 National Guard Armory at 51 Walden Street in Concord, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building features a stage designed by Boston architect C.H. Blackall with a fly tower and counterweighted rigging.

Expect concerts, theater, and dance performances from three resident groups: The Concord Players, The Concord Band, and The Concord Orchestra. The venue also hosts weddings, community events, and holiday celebrations. The Queen Anne-style shingled building provides a distinctive historic setting.

The armory was built in 1887 and saw use as a performance space as early as 1921 when the Concord Dramatic Club moved in. The stage was added in 1922 as a smaller version of the Colonial Theatre stage in Boston. The nonprofit was founded in 1972 as Friends of the Performing Arts in Concord (FOPAC) and rebranded as 51 Walden in 2015.